Irises
by abovetheserpentine
Summary: Sometimes the selfish thing to do is the right thing to do. In this case, Edward doesn’t want to risk it. But due to an inevitable meeting involving the Volturi, he and Bella are about to find out. BellaEdward.


**A/N: Hello! I'm not sure whether to make this a one-shot or a story, but we'll have to wait and see. I had this sudden idea come to mind yesterday and it wouldn't leave me alone! I had loads of free time today so I decided to write it, as I am currently in writer's block of my HP fanfic. Grr. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. :**

**Title:** _Irises_

**Summary: **Sometimes the selfish thing to do is the right thing to do. In this case, Edward doesn't want to risk it. But due to an inevitable meeting involving the Volturi, he and Bella are about to find out. BellaEdward.

**Disclaimer: Do I look like Stephenie Meyer to you? Do I look like someone creative enough to create the world of Twilight? No. So please don't sue. :**

_Prologue_

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My stomach lurched violently, ready to empty itself of its contents as I was flung wildly into Emmett's arms.

"Hold on."

He didn't need to say anymore. I closed my eyes tightly and knew we were flying past trees and shrubs at break-neck speed.

I felt a stab of pain in my left side and was jostled around like a rag-doll being toyed with before landing heavily on the ground, whacking my arms against the rocks and roots spread all over the forest floor as pain erupted through my upper torso. I felt a thick, rusty-smelling liquid seep down my arms slowly and knew it was now or never.

I ungracefully pulled myself up off the ground into a standing position as Emmett shouted at me "RUN, BELLA!!"

I didn't need to be told twice as I raced through the forest, dodging trees and bushes, clumsily staggering multiple times. I was stopped without warning when a figure basically materialized in front of me. It grinned, its burgundy eyes sparkling. I screamed and ran to the right, hopefully able to sprint around it, only to find it smiling at me once more. I panted uncontrollably, looking all around me for an escape route. The vampire, for I knew it could be nothing else with those blood-red irises, stalked towards me slowly as I backed up, stumbling over some tree roots along the way.

"Not so fast, pretty." He snarled, unclenching his fists which rested at his sides. My eyes widened and I spun around, leaving a path of destruction in my way as I tried to create obstacles for the ultimate predator, which happened to be chasing me.

Tackled to the hard surface of the ground, I knew I was trapped. I mean, what was the point of running away from a vampire, anyway? You were always going to get captured… or really, killed. Well, at least I tried.

The vampire, who was now my captor, roughly pulled me to my feet and grabbed both of my arms, nearly snapping them in two with the amount of force he exuded. I inhaled sharply in pain.

"Who knew a human could be so troublesome?" he ground out between his anger. I stayed silent, not wanted to infuriate him anymore. Even though I knew it was no use, I started to try to jerk my arms away from my captor. He replied the sentiment by squeezing my arms, which had started to bruise horrifically.

Still struggling to break myself free, I was painfully shoved into a large clearing, taking in the scene around me. All of the Cullens were being brought into the clearing one by one, as they looked to see Edward encircled by many vampires. _The Volturi._ We should've known.

Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice were all dragged to the area of the clearing that I was standing in, watching in terror as the vampires started to advance on Edward as he stood gracefully in the middle. They stopped and one stepped forward, starting to speak to Edward in a hushed and hurried tone. Of course I, being no vampire, couldn't hear a thing; stupid heightened senses. Edward's eyes smoldered with hate as he stared at what I assumed to be the leader from where I stood. I found my body going numb from the bitter wind rustling my hair and causing the vampire behind me to stiffen. Damn Forks, it always had to be so cold.

I continued to glare at the leader.

I always found it funny how a scene in a movie slowed down when something tragic happened, and I never really understood the meaning of it. Not until now, anyway. It's weird that my brain reacted the only way it could, yet the only way that I didn't know the meaning of. It was terribly confusing, and I found myself avoiding the thought completely just so my head would clear of the befuddling fog. Not until now did I realise how heart-wrenching it was to watch a scene unfold in slow-mo.

What was wrong with me? How could I just stand here and do nothing? I ordered my limbs to start working, but evidently I stayed in place, paralyzed with fear, watching him with my brown eyes. Not only was he as beautiful as he was on the day I met him, but his expression screamed defiance. I realised that had I done anything to help him, I would have ended up dead.

It was then that my legs started to work.

I took only a few desperate paces until I was yanked back to my original position. Surprised, I looked down at my left arm and saw a ghostly white hand latching onto me. I followed it to its owner and found two brilliantly bright crimson eyes staring at me in fury. Woops, I'd forgotten I was being held by a vampire.

I was soon in a death grip, crushed against my captor's cold, hard chest. The rest of my body suddenly regained feeling and I began to squirm in my captor's arms. Squirming turned to thrashing pretty quickly as I tried to break free.

"Bella," He looked at me then with burning eyes. "Stop it."

I stilled.

I had never been able to deny him anything. And still, as we faced our deaths, I was ever-so-obedient. How pitiful.

"Oh, how sweet," The tall, dark-haired leader spoke from his position near Edward. This time it was loud enough for me to hear. "The girl wants to save him." The circle laughed. He smirked in mirth.

One of them grinned, "Like she could take us." He said arrogantly. He was met with murmurs of agreement.

"Be quiet, Felix." Said the tall man and the grin dropped from Felix's face.

I whipped my head around to look behind me and saw the Cullen family, bar Edward. Alice looked spaced out, her eyes glazed as her crimson-eyed captor looked on weirdly; Emmett was being held by four well-muscled vampires, roughly trying to escape; Jasper was still in the other vampire's arms, but his face formed some sort of grimace; Rosalie looked annoyed, wriggling endlessly and Carlisle and Esme were standing calmly, although I could tell they were both worried for their eldest son as they were held back. Abruptly, my head was violently pushed forward and I lost sight of all of them. My neck was stinging from the sudden movement and I closed my eyes in pain, willing it to go away.

It was then I heard a roar from behind me. Screeches were heard and my captor tensed, bruising my rib cage. The circle of vampires and the one encircled stared at the creatures behind me. Aro, the dark-haired man, was angry. Actually, he was more than angry I decided… he was furious. There was hell to pay.

With a jerk of his head that no one saw but my captor, I knew he had summoned me to him. I was in Aro's arms in mere seconds as the vampires paid no heed to my human speed.

"STOP!" He thundered. Every vampire hesitated before they turned to him. "Or the girl gets it." I could see Edward's eyes widen as he saw me, back to a chest and hair pulled to the side, with Aro's mouth skimming the right-side of my neck. He looked desperately towards the others and I heard multiple thuds and some shuffling. My hope dwindled and I knew obeying wasn't going to solve anything.

Aro inhaled, his perfect nose gently grazing my thumping pulse point. He sighed happily and whispered, "Intoxicating…"

I whimpered.

Edward growled.

Aro chuckled.

Without lifting his head from my neck, he spoke "Now, now, Edward, threatening me probably isn't the best option right now." He paused and then grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head to the left. I groaned in disagreement and tears now threatened to spill. From the corner of my eye I could see Edward's own flash in pain. Aro slowly started to kiss my neck softly. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears were now flowing freely down my face. No one could do that and elicit pleasure except for Edward. _No_ one.

"Stop," Edward choked out. I opened my eyes and looked at him. I daringly tried to convey that he should let Aro keep going, that it was distracting him. My efforts were futile as his head slowly lifted up from my neck to look at Edward, still holding me firmly in place.

"Please, stop." I was in agony looking at his stunning face contorted into one in pure torture.

"It's a pity," Aro remarked, turning his eyes to my disfigured face as I tried to forget where I was. "That such a mouthwatering scent is to be wasted… but it's for the greater good, is it not, Edward?" Edward's mouth was set in a grim line as he looked on in confusion. I knew how this was going to end, and although I was relieved it would go no further, I was aching to see my parents one last time. "Sometimes, Edward, you need to realise," Aro murmured, kissing my neck again. "That the selfish thing to do… is the right thing to do."

This is when several things started to happen in slow motion; Edward's eyes widened as he stepped forward a couple of paces, Emmett yelled out something that I couldn't decipher through my hazy mind, and I felt a searing pain in my neck as, what I could only presume as Aro's teeth, sunk themselves into my flesh. I was feeling a little dizzy as blood started to drain from my body, but not before the cold mouth was no longer at my neck, but instead lingering above it, waiting for the inevitable. There was a pause before my neck burst with pain and I screamed out, starting to shake with the force of the torment I was suffering. I collapsed heavily, hitting the ground with the force of my own body weight. I lifted myself up on my palms and started to pant and gasp and nearly started hyperventilating as the scorching trail of Aro's venom slowly, agonizingly, traveled through my veins. I started to gradually get weaker as I heard shouts, screams, fighting and several voices around me, but it all felt so far away. My arms could no longer hold up my body and I crashed into the firm ground, my breath momentarily leaving me.

I moved myself onto my back, my body screaming in protest. I moaned in anguish and screamed when the burning inferno became even more intense. I heard someone saying my name, cold hands poking and prodding me, trying to soothe my agony. I shied away from them, the ice doing nothing for the pain. They let me be and I felt more relaxed… as relaxed as one could be when they feel like they're being burned alive. I clawed at my neck, hoping to get rid of the source of torture and found nothing but bright red blood. I paid no attention to the disgusting substance as a new wave of throbbing suffering racked through me and I screamed and thrashed about. My body ached and I refused to give in to the pain; I would survive this if it was the last thing I did. Unfortunately, my mind had other plans and I found myself being slowly consumed by blackness as the pain became even greater and more unbearable.

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**A/N: Did you like it? No matter what, please review. If you have something bad to say… please, it's called constructive criticism. Thank you! Review button is right there… why is there no downward arrow button?**

**HGJL :**


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